Sunday, September 14, 2008

Patriotism

I received one of those emails stating that Barack Obama did not hold his hand over his heart during the national anthem, and it gave an explanation from him why he didn't do it. I checked on Snopes and found out that the explanation wasn't given by Obama at all. It was given by a political columnist as part of a satirical "semi-news" bit. It was passed around in emails as being generated by Obama himself. Snopes was very generous to Obama, and mentioned that it quickly was unjustly spread around that he "refused" to put his hand over his heart. But as I read what Snopes had to say, it made me wonder what really happened. I went online and found this video (caution..this is, as one site reported...an "ear splitting" rendition :) that shows him holding his hands in front of him during the entire anthem. Snopes is right that the email that was generated was false, but they didn't give an explanation why a candidate for president doesn't show respect for one of the codes of the United States:

"During rendition of the national anthem when the flag is displayed, all present except those in uniform should stand at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart. Men not in uniform should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart. -- United States Code, Title 36, Chapter 10, Sec. 171"